In “upstream” production at an oil or gas reservoir, production declines over time as reserves are removed. Equipment in the associated production facility is designed and typically operated for the peak production conditions. Over time, as the hydrocarbon production rate from the reservoir drops, extra capacity appears on the process equipment.
In typical systems, the processing equipment in the production facility, such as three-phase separators, hydrocyclones, compressors, dehydration equipment, and pumps, are all configured and optimized for most efficient production only under optimal conditions. There is currently no overall production control system for optimizing the production process even as the reserves are removed.